Langley RCMP was grateful for the assistance of their partners in the arrest of a male armed with a handgun this past Friday (March 4th).
Langley RCMP was alerted to an illegal crossing of the USA / Canada border in the 24300 block just before 7:00 a.m. Langley officers arrived and located a silver Infiniti G37 with California license plates abandoned just on the American side of the border facing north. The vehicle was registered to a male who is known to police. Further, he has been known to attempt illegal re-entry into Canada on other occasions. A male matching the description of the registered owner was seen fleeing on foot.
Officers from CFSEU’s Uniform Gang Enforcement Team and Lower Mainland District Integrated Police Dog Services established a track from the last known location of the ‘border jumper’’
Containment of the area was established and the search began. Shortly after 08:00 a.m., Langley RCMP received another call advising a man matching the suspect description was attempting to gain entry into a residence nearby. By now, the ‘Search Party’ had grown and included officers from the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team.
A search of the inside of the residence was not successful but one of the Emergency Response Team members located the male hiding under the residence. He was ordered to exit which he did and immediately fled into an open field. The officers engaged in a foot pursuit and observed the suspect reach into the front pocket of his hoodie. The officers deployed the Conducted Energy Weapon and the suspect fell to the ground.
Once in custody, the male suspect was searched and was found to have a loaded handgun and extra magazines in his front hoodie pocket.
Christopher Wilfredo Lopez, a 28-year-old man from Bakersfield, California was arrested and taken into the custody of Langley RCMP. He has been charged with Possession of a Prohibited Firearm and with Failing to Comply with an Undertaking. The investigation is ongoing and it is possible additional charges may be considered.
Superintendent Adrian Marsden, Officer in Charge, Langley RCMP, We are thankful this quick, coordinated effort amongst multiple police agencies, including assistance from those in the US, and the invaluable assistance of the public caller allowed us to prevent a likely deadly situation from occurring. It was definitely the best outcome we could have hoped for.
